Rahul Gandhi says Modi govt failed to protect tribals’ rights, urges it to defend Forest Rights Act in SC

“In 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the eviction of all those whose claims had been rejected, a move that triggered widespread protests across the country. In response, the court paused evictions and called for a thorough review of the rejected claims,” he added.

मोदी सरकार की वन अधिकार अधिनियम की उपेक्षा से लाखों आदिवासी परिवार अपनी पारंपरिक ज़मीन से बेदखली के कगार पर हैं।

2006 में कांग्रेस ने ऐतिहासिक अन्याय को दूर करने और आदिवासियों को उनके जल, जंगल और ज़मीन पर अधिकार सुनिश्चित करने के लिए वन अधिकार अधिनियम (FRA) लागू किया था। लेकिन…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 1, 2025

The case is back before the Supreme Court on April 2 and, once again, the Modi government is “missing in action”, Gandhi alleged.

“It failed to defend the law in 2019 and continues to show no intention of standing up for Adivasi rights today. Worse still, there has been no serious attempt to review or reconsider the lakhs of pending and rejected claims,” the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

“If the Modi government truly wants to protect Adivasis rights and protect lakhs of families from eviction, it must act swiftly and defend the Forest Rights Act in court,” he added.